Jenny’s Experience
Hello CSP Family,
As we journey together in our faith as the one family in Christ, we need to be reminded regularly that our lives are not our own but are meant to be spent in loving service to all people, following the example of our Lord. When we do this, we follow through with our mission: Seeking the Kingdom of God and Following the Way of Jesus for the healing and flourishing of our world. Below is a short letter written by one of our members about her experience serving the community at the Lowcountry Food Bank monthly distribution. I pray it encourages you to see that even small, seemingly insignificant moments spent in love towards others can have big and lasting impact. I also hope you will take the (easy) opportunity to serve our neighbors by volunteering at the next Lowcountry Food Bank distribution. I hope to see you there!
Sincerely,
Kyle+
Jenny’s experience…
On the third Saturday of every month, volunteers from local churches and the community come together to distribute food delivered by the Lowcountry Food Bank in the town of Hollywood, South Carolina from 7-10 AM. This ministry has been going on for years, but I have come to be involved with it just in the last two years. I’ve watched people in hundreds of cars line up, sometimes for hours, to receive a free box of fresh food. I’ve always wanted to connect with the people in these cars in some meaningful way, but the food delivery happens so fast there’s not time to say much more than “God bless you!” or “Have a great day!” as you load the food in the trunk or back seat.
However, on Saturday, August 20, 2022, something different happened. I felt prompted to pray for the people in the cars as they waited in line for their turn to receive food. I asked other volunteers if this had been done before, and the answer was yes, but for some reason or another, it wasn’t continued. I felt scared to try it all by myself. I asked my husband, Bill, if I should do it, and he said, “Go for it!” so I did. I walked over to the driver of the first car in line. The elderly woman driving the car rolled down her window and looked at me curiously.
“How are you?” I asked. “Doing fine. How are you?” she said. I answered, “Doing well. May I pray for you?” Much to my delight, she immediately replied, “Yes.” “Do you have any special requests?” I asked. “Oh, yes! I need help with my finances and my son has cancer,” she said. “Ok,” I said. “Dear Lord, this lovely woman needs help. Please bless this woman with her finances and heal her son with cancer. I ask all of this in the name of Jesus.” She smiled, thanked me, and drove up to receive her portion of food. I felt overwhelming love and joy in my heart. So, I repeated this process for the rest of the people in the car line.
Often, the request was for finances, health, or relationships. I was struck by how open and honest the people were. Many were strong Christians, saying something like, “I was just listening to a sermon” or “I was just praying myself.” So, it was effortless to pray for them. It seemed like exactly the right thing to do. It was rare for anyone to decline prayer, although one driver said, “We got this” and kept driving. I didn’t mind. The people who wanted prayer were so welcoming and receptive, it was a tremendous joy to lean forward, close my eyes, and pray my heart out for them. I will never forget this experience. It is one of the highlights of my life. It is amazing how something so simple can be so rewarding.
The next Hollywood food bank distribution will be Saturday, September 17. Please come out and join us. There are many jobs to do: filling bags with potatoes, loading each box with the correct amount of food items, loading boxes into cars, flattening cardboard boxes, or praying for people. Last month, we supplied food to over 175 families and fed over 550 people. There are so many people who need food and are hurting. Can you help?
Thank you,
Jenny Swygert
